Slide feed with toggle actuated gripper



Aug. 20, 1957 w. P. POWERS SLIDE FEED WITH TOGGLE ACTUATED GRIPPER FiledOct. 18, 1955 7 Sheets-Shem. l

'Aug. 20, 1957 w. PO WERS 2,803,456

SLIDE FEED WITH TOGGLE ACTUATED GRIPPER Filed Oct. 18.1955

'7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 20, 1957 w. P." POWERS SLIDE FEED mm 'roccuzACTUATED GRIPPER' Filed Oct 18.. 1955 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 MM x 1 w. P.POWERS SLIDE FEED WITH TOGGLE; ACTUATED GRIPPER Filed m.- 18, 1955 -Aug.20, 1957 7 Sheets-$11961. 4

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7 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVEN TOR. 44 61 7:51? Pfan 'fis' M' M- fiTTUP/VEY Aug.20, 195'? w. P. POWERS suns FEED WITH TOGGLEI ACTUATED GRIPPER Filed on.18, less '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 6 4 w/ w H A y w 1 i Q j w M 6 ,0 a WM I WINVENTOR. 46%; 75/? PfiWEfiS assasse srma FEED wrria TQGGLE ACTUATEDGRIPPER Waiter P. ?owers, prh1g Lake, N. 3., assignor to C. Todd,Rutherford, N. 3., as trustee Application October 18, 1955, Serial No.541,221

8 (Claims. (Cl. 271-25) The invention herein disclosed relates to slidefeeds.

Objects of the invention are to accomplish accurate, uniform feed ofstock; to efiect firm, positive gripping of the stock without indentingor marring the same; to check the stock against retrograde movement andto hold the stock under full control at all times.

These and other desirable results are attained by employment of a toggleactuated form of gripper and by corelating this with the stock check sothat at the end of the feed stroke the stock check takes hold when orbefore the gripper lets go and so that at the end of the recovery strokethe gripper takes hold when or before the check releases its hold on thestock.

This timing of gripper and check is effected by employing a toggle forshifting the slide block which carries the gripper and operating it tosubstantially fully straightened condition and possibly slightly beyonddead-center, providing a slight dwell or time interval in which theslide block is at rest for effecting the correlated opening and closingactions of gripper and check.

Another important feature of the invention is the choice of operatingthe slide feed either with or without a pilot. In a preferred form themechanism may include a special cam which when a pilot is employed, maybe set to permit momentary release of the stock While the piloting stepis being effected.

Other important features of the invention and desirable results attainedwith the invention are set forth and will appear in the course of thefollowing specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specificationillustrate a present commercial embodiment of the invention. Structure,however, may be modified and changed as regards the immediateillustration, all within the true intent and broad scope of theinvention.

Fig. 1 in the drawings is a broken front elevation of the slide feedwith parts appearing as at the end of the forward feed stroke up againstthe front stop, the toggle actuating the slide block shown as havingreached substantially straightened position, the toggle for the grippershown in the straightened, gripper-closed position and the check open,clear of the stock;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the feed toggle advanced slightly pastdead-center to break the gripper toggle and to lift the check closinglever, the slide block then at rest against the front stop with gripperreleased from and check closed on the stock;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the feed toggle started on the returnstroke and having passed back over deadcenter sufiiciently to rock thesupport for the check closing lever into position for holding the checkclosed during the recovery stroke, just starting, of the slide block;

Fig. 4 is a broken front view showing parts at the end of the returnstroke with the block up against the back stop, with gripper open andcheck closed on the stock;

Fig. 5 is a like view showing how with slight further backward movement,compressing a recovery spring, the feed toggle straightens the grippertoggle to close the hired stats Patent "ice gripper on the stock whilethe check is still closed on the' stock and the block is stationaryagainst the back stop;

Fig. 6 is a like view showing the feed toggle started on the forwardfeed stroke with straightening pressure on the gripper toggle releasedand the check closing lever dropped to open the check;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the slide block and stockcheck;

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view on substantially the plane of line 8-8of Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a modified form of the invention, inwhich adjustment for thickness of stock is effected at the bottominstead of at the top of the slide blGCii as first shown.

In the several views the slide block is indicated at 15, riding on guiderods 16 between front and back stops 17, 18 and reciprocated in oppositedirections by a toggle made up of levers 19, 20 pivoted together attheir meeting ends at 21, the first lever being the lower arm of a bellcrank fulcrumed at 22 and having an upper arm 23 usually connected by alink 24 with an operating crank or eccentric on the press or othermachine with which the slide feed is used, the other lever 20,consisting of parallel links carrying at the free end a cross-pin 25extending through a slot or oversize opening 26 in the block.

A special feature of this oscillating toggle, as in the companioncopending applications Serial No. 442,699, filed July 12, 1954, nowPatent No. 2,721,649, October 25, 1955, Serial No. 506,141, filed May 5,1955 and Serial No. 541,253, filed October 18, 1955, is that it isdesigned, as shown, to complete the feed stroke substantially as itreaches the straightened condition and thus to allow for a certainlimited amount of motion or overthrow past or in the region ofdead-center which can be utilized to effect a desirable coordination ofstock gripper and stock check while the block is at rest against thestop.

The feed gripper is shown as a plunger 27 operating in a verticalguideway 28 in the top of the block in cooperative gripping relation tothe anvil or bottom plate 29.

This gripper plunger is operated by a toggle made up of upper paralleltoggle links 30 pivoted at their upper ends on the block at 31 .andpivoted at their lower ends at 32 to the upper end of a toggle link 33pivoted to the plunger by a cross-pin 34.

This gripper toggle is arranged in the straightened or slightly pastdead-center position shown in Fig. l, to hold the plunger in grippingengagement with the stock 35 and in the broken position, Fig. 2, tofully release the stock.

A coil spring is shown at 36 seated in a horizontal bore hold the sameat the forward end of the slot 26, as in Fig. l.

The gripper toggle is actuated from the feed toggle, in the gripperopening direction, by cross-pins 38 on'the links 20 and disposed at theback of the gripper toggle links 30 and, in the gripper closingdirection, by the pin 25 which extends across the front of the uprightparallel links 30.

The stock check is shown as a plunger 39 guided for vertical movement inthe base or frame 40 of the machine at a point adjoining the front stop,lifted by a spring 41 and adapted to be closed down on the stock byabutment screw 42 in the end of the check closing lever 43 pivoted onthe base at 44 and carrying at its free end lifting and supporting lugscooperative with elements of the oscillating feed toggle.

The lug by which check closing lever 43 is lifted is designated 45 andis shown as a small plate pivoted on the lever at 46 and having aninclined cam face 47 on the lower edge thereof engageable by a liftingpin 48 on the lever, may be operated as a ratchet to lift and pivotfreely on the upward counter-clockwise movement of pin 48 and on thereverse clockwise movement of this pin, to hold and serve as a cam forlifting lever 43; This ratcheting action is utilizedwhen the slide feedis operated 5 with a pilot, the free lifting of the cam giving time forthe pilot to engage and center the stock and after this is accomplished,the reverse movement of pin 43 will then, operating on cam 47, lift thelever to close the check on the stock.

Fig. 7 shows the cam plate 45 as having an angular: flange 49 at the topwhich reaches over the upper edge portion of the lever on which theplate is mounted tolimit downward-movement of the cam plate and renderthis plate rigid under the clockwise movement engagement ofpin 48.. i

For the usual pilotless operation of the slidefeed the cam plate isfixedly secured on the lever by a screw 54 extended down through thestop flange 49 into the body of the lever. This screw remains in placewhile the machine is operated without a pilot and is removed orsufficiently released to permit rocking action of the cam plate whenpilot action is in use. 7

The lug for supporting check lever 43 in the check closed condition isshown as an angularly extended piece 51011 the free end of the leverlocated for engagement by a laterally projecting shoulder 52 on thelower end of lever 53 having a friction band mounting 54 on the hub.portion 55, Fig. 8, of the rocking bell crank toggle member 23.

The upright shoulder 56 on lever 43' limits rocking I movement of thefrictional lever 53 in the right-handed or counter-clockwise direction,Figs. 1 and 6, and a shoulder 57 at the right-hand side of this lever isengageable by the shoulder 56 of lever 43 to limit the drop or checkopening movement of this lever.

A stop screw 58 extending through the supporting shoulder 51 on the endof the lever limits the left-handed movement of friction lever 53, Fig.3, and thus can be set to determine the extent of engagement of thelever supporting shoulders 52 and 51 to time the stock check 7 action.

The upper or live toggle lever 19 is shown as extended in the nature ofa quadrant so as to carry the check lever lifting pin 48 in properposition to engage the cam on that lever, and the thus extended togglelever is further shown as carrying an arcuately arranged series of screwopenings 59 for the lift pin, providing timing adjustment for settingthis pin to operate the check lever either sooner or later in the stockfeeding cycle.

Adjustment forthickuess of stock is effected in the first illustratedform of the invention, Figs. 1 to 8, by mounting the upper toggle pin 31in a bridge or bracket 60 adjustable vertically on the block byhold-down screws 61. This top adjustment is convenient but for somepurposes bottom adjustment may be preferred.

Fig. 9 illustrates a form of the latter in which the bottom plate isreplaced by a vertically adjustable anvil plug 62 screwed in the bottomof the slide block. A lock screw or the like maybe provided for securingthis anvil plug in any vertically adjusted position.

Operation Fig. 1 shows the feed toggle 19, 20 as having nearly reachedthe fully straightened condition, with the slide block up against thefront stop 17, the gripper toggle 3G. 33 in straightened condition withthe gripper closed. on the stock and the stock check 39 open, thecondition of parts at end of the feed stroke. At this time thefric- 70tion lever 53 is rocked forwardly, to the right, against abutment 56 oncheck closing lever 43, withrthe supporting shoulder 52 clear ofshoulder 51 on the end of lever 43, which is in the dropped, check openposition.

Fig.2-shows' how with slightly further straightening movement in theregion of or possibly slightly past deadcenter, the pins 38 on leverlinks 20, by engagement with rearward edges of upright gripper togglelinks 30, will break gripper toggle 3G, 33 to open or free the gripperfrom gripping engagement with the stock, and how in this slightlyfurther forward movement the pin 48 on live toggle lever 19 will engagecam 47 on the check closing lever 43 to close the check down on thestock. Thus the stock is gripped by the check while the slide block isstill up against the front stop and before return movement is started.

Fig. 3 shows the feed toggle started back over deadcenter and how inthis slight movement of the toggle prior to start of the recovery stokethe dependentsupporting lever 53 is swung to the left to carry thesupporting or holding shoulder 52 beneath shoulder 51 on the upliftedcheck closing lever 43. Lever 43 is thus locked in the raised, checkclosed position before or at the time the slide block starts itsrecovery stroke.

Fig. 4 shows the block against back stop 18 at the end of the recoverystroke, with gripper open and check closed on the stock, lever 43 beingstill supported in upraised, check closed position.

Fig. 5 shows how with slight further retrograde movement of live togglelever 19 the cross-pin 25 is pulled back in its guide slot 26,compressing spring 36 while straighteninng toggle 30, 33 to closegripper 27 on the stock. In this slight further retrograde movementcheck 39 remains closed on the stock. Thus the gripper is closed on thestock while the stock is still held by the check and the slide block isstill-up against the back stop, preparatory to feed stroke of the block.

Fig. 6 illustrates the condition at commencement of feed stroke or justbefore the slide block leaves the back stop. In this slight initialmovement of the feed toggle, while pin 25 is taking up lost motion inslot 26, the reaction of spring 36 holds the block against back stop 18while the supporting lever 53 is moving to the right sufficiently toclear lug 52 from lug 51 to drop the end of check closing lever 43 andpermit check 39 to open before the slide block starts forward.

Thus it will be seen the stock is held under control at all times. Theinvention permits a slight amount of overlap to be introduced at bothends of the slide block movement, at which times the stock will be heldby both the gripper and the check, or at least one will not let gobefore the other has taken hold of the stock. This enables quick,accurate, uniform feeding.

'The gripper plunger may be of any desired size and shape to best engageand hold the stock and the extended area thus made possible insuresfirm, positive gripping without injuring or deforming the stock, adistinct advantage, particularly in the handling of thin, soft and moreor less fragile strip material.

In operating with a pilot the. stock, at the end of the feed stroke, isreleased momentarily for registration by the pilot. This is accomplishedin the machine illustrated by releasing or removing the hold-down screw59 which permits the cam piece to operate as a ratchet, lifting freelyon the upward, right-handed movement of the pin 48, Fig. 2, whilepiloting action is being accomplished and serving as a ratchet cam tolift the check closing lever 43 in the reverse, left-handed movementofpin 48, Fig. 3.

The pins 38 on the feed toggle in conjunction with the rear edge of thegripper toggle, engaging as in Fig. 2, constitute companion opposingabutment elements for breaking the gripper toggle at the end of the feedtoggle straightening movement and conversely the cross-pin 25 at the endof the feed toggle, in engaging the opposite forward edge of the grippertoggle as illustrated in Fig. 5, at the end of the recovery stroke,constitute companion opposing abutment elements for closing the gripperat the end oftherecovery or return stroke of the slide block.

What is claimed is: I

1. Slide feed comprising the combination of a reciprocating slide block,a gripper on said block and including a toggle for opening and closingthe same in respect to the stock being fed, an oscillating feed toggleconnected to reciprocate said slide block and means on said oscillatingtoggle for efiecting stock gripping and releasing movements of saidgripper toggle, including shoulders on said feed toggle spaced toopposite sides of said gripper toggle and engageable therewith tooperate said gripper toggle in the actuation of the feed toggle inopposite directions, said feed toggle havinga lost motion connec tionwith the slide block and spring means included in the connection of thefeed toggle with the block for holding the feed toggle separated fromthe gripper toggle but yieldable to enable operative engagement of thefeed toggle with the gripper toggle.

2. Slide feed comprising the combination of reciprocating slide block,an oscillating feed toggle pivotally connected at its free end to saidslide block and operating from a toggle broken to a substantiallystraightened toggle position to complete feed stroke of the slide block,a stock gripper on said slide block, a gripper actuating toggle on theslide block mounted to oscillate in substantially the same general planeas said feed toggle and operable from a broken to a substantiallystraightened condition to efiect closing of the gripper on the stock,companion abutment elements in opposing relation on said feed toggle andgripper toggle in position engaging in the straightening movement of thefeed toggle to effect breaking movement of the gripper toggle andopening of the gripper at completion of the stock feeding movement, andcompanion abutment elements in opposing relation on said feed toggle andgripper toggle in position engaging in the reverse, toggle breakingmovement of said feed toggle for efiecting straightening, gripperclosing movement of the gripper toggle at the opposite end ofoscillating movement of the feed toggle and closing of the gripper onthe stock at the end of recovery stroke of the slide block.

3. Slide feed comprising the combination of reciprocating slide block,an oscillating feed toggle pivotally connected at its free end to saidslide block and operating from a toggle broken to a substantiallystraightened toggle position to complete feed stroke of the slide block,a stock gripper on said slide block, a gripper actuating toggle on theslide block mounted to oscillate in substantially the same general planeas said feed toggle and operable from a broken to a substantiallystraightened condition to efiect closing of the gripper on the stock,companion abutment elements in opposing relation on said feed toggle andgripper toggle in position engaging in the straightening movement of thefeed toggle to effect breaking movement of the gripper toggle andopening of the gripper at completion of the stock feeding movement, andcompanion abutment elements in opposing relation on said feed toggle andgripper toggle in position engaging in the reverse, toggle breakingmovement of said feed toggle for efiecting straightening, gripperclosing movement of the gripper toggle at the opposite end ofoscillating movement of the feed toggle and closing of the gripper onthe stock at the end of recovery stroke of the slide block, saidcompanion abutment elements including pins mounted in spaced relation onthe feed toggle, disposed on opposite sides of the gripper toggle andengageable with the opposite rearward and forward edges of the grippertoggle.

4. Slide feed comprising the combination of reciprocating slide block,an oscillating feed toggle pivotally connected at its free end to saidslide block and operating from a toggle broken to a substantiallystraightened toggle position to complete feed stroke of the slide block,a stock gripper on said slide block, a gripper actuating toggle on theslide block mounted to oscillate in substantially the same general planeas said feed toggle and operable from a broken to a substantiallystraightened condition to effect closing of the gripper on the stock,companion abutment elements in opposing relation on said feed toggle andgripper toggle in position engaging in the straightening movement of thefeed toggle to effect breaking movement of the gripper toggle andopening of the gripper at completion of the stock feeding movement, andcompanion abutment elements in opposing relation on said feed toggle andgripper toggle in position engaging in the reverse, toggle breakingmovement of said feed toggle for effecting straightening, gripperclosing movement of the gripper toggle at the opposite end ofoscillating movement of the feed toggle and closing of the gripper onthe stock at the end of recovery stroke of the slide block, said pivotalconnection or" the feed toggle with the slide block including across-pin on the feed toggle and the block having a slot for receivingsaid cross-pin and providing therewith a lost motion connection betweenthe feed toggle and block, and spring means for yieldingly taking uplost motion in said connection in one direction of travel of the block.

5. Slide feed comprising the combination of reciprocating slide block,an oscillating feed toggle pivotally connected at its free end to saidslide block and operating from a toggle broken to a substantiallystraightened toggle position to complete feed stroke of the slide block,a stock gripper on said slide block, a gripper actuating toggle on theslide block mounted to oscillate in substantially the same general planeas said feed toggle and operable from a broken to a substantiallystraightened condition to eitect closing of the gripper on the stock,companion abutment elements in opposing relation on said feed toggle andgripper toggle in position engaging in the straightening movement of thefeed toggle to eliect breaking movement of the gripper toggle andopening of the gripper at completion of the stock feeding movement,companion abutment elements in opposing relation on said feed toggle andgripper toggle in position engaging in the reverse, toggle breakingmovement of said feed toggle for effecting straightening, gripperclosing movement of the gripper toggle at the opposite end ofoscillating movement of the feed toggle and closing of the gripper onthe stock at the end of recovery stroke of the slide block, a stockcheck and connections from said feed toggle for efiecting stock engagingand disengaging operations of said stock check at opposite ends of thetravel of said feed toggle, including an actuating member on said feedtoggle and a two-position cam shiftable into one position for actuationby said actuating member for pilot operation of the slide feed and intoa different position for pilotless operation of the slide feed.

6. Slide feed comprising the combination of reciprocating slide block,an oscillating teed toggle pivotally connected at its free end to saidslide block and operating from a toggle broken to a substantiallystraightened toggle position to complete feed stroke of the slide block,a stock gripper on said slide block, a gripper actuating toggle on theslide block mounted to oscillate in substantially the same general planeas said feed toggle and operable from a broken to a substantiallystraightened condition to efiect closing of the gripper on the stock,companion abutment elements in opposing relation on said feed toggle andgripper toggle in position engaging in the straightening movement of thefeed toggle to effect breaking movement of the gripper toggle andopening of the gripper at completion of the stock feeding movement,companion abutment elements in opposing relation on said feed toggle andgripper toggle in position engaging in the reverse, toggle breakingmovement of said feed toggle for effecting straightening, gripperclosing movement of the gripper toggle at the opposite end ofoscillating movement of the feed toggle and closing of the gripper onthe stock at the end of recovery stroke of the slide block, a stockcheck and j? connections operable by said feeds toggle for efiectingstock engaging and disengaging operations of said stock check atopposite ends of travel of said feed toggle, including a check operatinglever and companion abutments on said lever and feed toggle engageablein the oscillating movement of said feed toggle and relatively shiftableto alter the time of said engagement in the oscillating cycle of saidfeed toggle.

7. Slide feed comprising the combination of reciprocating slide block,an oscillating feed toggle connected to'reciprocate said block, a stockgripper on said, slide block, means operated by said feed toggle forimparting stock gripping and releasing movements to said gripper atopposite ends of travel of said slide block, a stock check andconnections operable, by said feed toggle for effecting stock engagingand disengaging operations of said stock check at opposite ends oftravel of said feed toggle, including a lever for opening and closingsaid check, a ratchetmember mounted on said lever, and an abutment onthefeed toggle positioned to freely pass said ratchet member in onedirection-of rection of movement of saidifeed-toggle.

8. The invention according to claim 7 'With means for securing saidratchet member immovable on the lever and whereby said abutment on thetoggle will be effective through engagement with said ratchet member inits fixed'relation to actuate the check lever on movement of the feedtoggle in both directions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS GrimmDec. 23, 1953 Powers Oct. 25, 1955

